


The Rumblings of Berlin

by Bloody_Willamina



Series: Timeless Echoes [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23030194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bloody_Willamina/pseuds/Bloody_Willamina
Summary: Years after the death of the Ponds, the Doctor is still traveling alone. He stops in a modern day Berlin, and stumbles onto a secret lurking beneath the city. He also has a run-in with one of the locals, that he is not prepared for.
Relationships: Eleventh Doctor/Rory Williams
Series: Timeless Echoes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1655176
Comments: 13
Kudos: 30





	1. The Doctor's Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> So I will try to be close to Canon, as much as possible, but some things were reworked and canon divergent in the writing of this story. And everything in this story is very alternate reality, as Clara will not be making an appearance in this story. I apologize to any Clara fans out there. I doubt I'll have any other characters from Doctor Who, other then the Doctor, the TARDIS, and Rory. However there will be flashbacks featuring other Doctor Who characters. (Mainly only Amy and River in mind, but who knows) I took my own liberties for some of Canon, obviously, to fit this story better. I also was heavily inspired by MDJensen's "Indelible."
> 
> This is meant to be a series, and set up like a typical Doctor Who series, with "Episodes". And each episode was meant to contain a minimum of 5 chapters. I will finish the 'episode' I have started, but it's going to depend on how well this story is received, if I continue further with it or not. It is going to have original characters/companions in it; and I know those stories aren't usually well liked in Fandom. Nonetheless, enjoy.

Years passed. Years had passed since the Doctor last saw Amy and Rory in the cemetary before they disappeared. Before they winked out of his life and died in the past. The Doctor still had adventures, had tried travelling with others for a while, but his mind often went back to the Ponds. He normally didn't like to reminesce, to be trapped in the past. It wasn't healthy and he was used to leaving things and people behind without giving it another thought. But he supposed it was because they had traveled with him off and on for so many of his years. It was over two hundred of his years before their time was up. None of his other companions had lasted that long in hi life, not since Sarah Jane. He had gotten use to seeing them around, had gotten use to going to their house when he needed a break from the constant running. They were always there to help him and kept him from going too far. 

  
He had even been surprised to find he enjoyed the domesticity the Ponds dragged him into. He did love River Song, but Amy and Rory had been his grounding force. He loved Amy and Rory. Sometimes, looking back on it, it seemed liked they treated him like he was part of _**AmyandRory**_ , but then he was an old man, and it could have been his own imaginings. He knew Amy had always wanted her boys, but Rory was always resistant to the idea and had kept the Doctor at arm's length. The Doctor had always wished Rory's memories as the Last Centurion would resurface. Things very well could have been different, but in the end, he still would have lost both of them. The Doctor never got to tell them; Amy knew of course, but Rory didn't, and the Doctor was never sure what Rory's reaction would have been any way. Such a cowardly decision, now that he was thinking back on it. 

  
Sighing loudly in the TARDIS, the Doctor punched some buttons on the console and then leaned back against the railing as his ship moved back and forth through the vortex. And he tried to move on from the Pond, but the three passengers he had over the past few years never seemed to measure up to his companions in the past. He'd dropped them off back home after a couple of adventures and never looked back. Since then, he's been on his own. Oh, he did keep an eye out for potential companions, because flying around time and space alone was not something he wanted to pursue again. The TARDIS lurched in and he grabbed onto the railing as his concerned eyes gazed at the screen. "Wha-?"

  
The ship lurched again and he lost his grip and went flying across the control room. He gazed towards the center and saw the controls spark, but there was no lasting damage as the TARDIS seemingly spun out of control. _Had they hit some sort of spatial hiccup? Or had his TARDIS reacted to his thoughts and his strong emotions that had been connected to those thoughts?_ He didn't have to wait for long, before the TARDIS leveled out and finally came to a stop. Picking himself up off the floor, he moved back to the console. He grabbed the screen only for it to flicker before shutting off. Either it had been damaged during the bumpy flight or the TARDIS shut it down herself, because she didn't want him to know where they were. The Doctor was liable to believe the TARDIS was messing wit him, but with so many times he had to fix her systems, he couldn't rule out circuit damage. 

  
"Hey sexy." The Doctor tried for a pleading ton, just in case. "Where are we?" He didn't get a repsone back, not that he was expecting one. After a few moments of turning dials and pressing buttons, he heard the lock to the door click. It was obvious what the old girl wanted him to do. "You've got a surprise then for me, sexy?" After adjusting his bow tie, he left the TARDIS, preparing himself for something amazing that his ship had rushed him to.

2020 Berlin, Germany, was not even remotely close to what the Doctor had imagined, and it wasn't near the top of his list of places to visit either. He wasn't sure why he was there or what the TARDIS needed him to do. Running a hand through his hair, he closed and locked the door as he walked alongside the street he had parked by. The buildings were tall and impressive, but the skyline reminded him of London, only with certain landmarks he had grown fond of, missing. Breathing in the air, he nodded or smiled at any of the other people he passed by. Most gave him a friendly if cautious smile back, or would give him an odd look. Though a few ignored him completely. The sky was mostly clear, and it was an average day and he saw nothing out of the ordinary. 

  
Treating it like a holiday, a break from the hostile enemies and end of the world woes, he looked for the nearest restaurant. Passing by a small place with wood paneling and large glass windows, he smelled freshly cooked food. Entering the establishment, he found a booth near the window and sat down. There were menu's on all the tables and he thumbed through it deciding on what he wanted pretty quickly. Now all he had to do was wait, which was not his strong suit. Taking the time to really look around, he saw how busy the small bar and grill was. There were still a few empty seats around, but not many. The overall vibe he got from the room didn't raise any red flags. Why did you send me here?

  
A flash of red and a giggle instantly grabbed his attention. He could have smacked himself for his stupidity. It wasn't Amy. He knew it couldn't be Amy. It was impossible. Certainly, he had seen more unsual and impossible things, but this time he blamed his own memories being too near the surface. Upon closer inspection, he saw that her hair had been dyed red, and had black and pink highlights. It was definitely not his Amy. He also noticed a distinct lack of Rory by her side. The male she was with had a more muscular body with dark brown hair.

  
"You ready to order?" Came a shy voice to his left and it brought him out of his thoughts.

  
"Don't suppose you have fish fingers and custard?"

  
She gave him a puzzled look. "Umm...I don't think so."

  
He gave her an easy smile. "No problem. I'll just try your first special."

  
She scribbled on her notepad, gave some curteous response and then scurried away. The Doctor watched her go, before he started to feel antsy again. There was nothing there, nothing he needed to do. Nothing had drawn the TARDIS there, or she had made a mistake. Whatever was the case, the Doctor wasn't going to stay passed his food. As soon as he was finished eating, he was going back to his ship, and would fly elsewhere; no matter how much the TARDIS fought with him. He wasn't sitting for much longer, before the waitress, Julie, came back with his order. The pale Amy wannabee and her muscle-bound boyfriend had left and the Doctor made discreet observations while he ate. A conversation two tables to his right had caught his interest though.

  
"Haven't you been reading the papers?"

  
"I don't read from the nutter's conspiracy guide. You really believe that bull?"

  
"Of course I do. Come on, just give it a read at least." The young blonde guy tucked his shoulder length blonde hair behind his ear. "You have to admit that something is going on in this city. Those tremors are coming from somewhere. Don't you want to investigate it with me?"

  
This had the Doctors eye's widening and he stood up and began to make his way over to the table.

  
"I think you're reading too many fantasy books. The tremors are natural. Nothing's going-"

  
"Sorry, but did you say there was some sort of trouble?"

  
The man, that was older then the blonde, but still youthful. The Doctor would guess late thirties, early forties, glared. "This is a private conversation. Leave."

  
With a roll of his eyes, the blonde gave the Doctor his attention. "According to the paper I read, there's some dark conspiracy going down at Psionyx."

  
"And you believe everything you read in the papers?"

  
The Doctor smiled at the other man's response, but ran the name through his mind, trying to recall anything about that name, but he came up empty. Maybe they were just a small insignificant company, but the Doctor was suspicious of anything he didn't know about or couldn't remember. "That's good. Very good...uhh..."

  
When the man did not tell him his name, the Doctor continued without a beat,"But I think you're blonde friend may be right about this. Do you have this paper on you?"

  
The blonde went fishing around his bag and took the rolled up paper out of it and offered it to the Doctor. It didn't matter that this was some stranger, the blonde wanted validation, to be proved right. Excitedly, he pointed at specific parts of the article. "Right here. It explains everything. And that the company has got to be responsible for the earthquakes."

  
"Oh yes. 'A darkness looms over the tower of Psionyx. It is this darkness that has infected our great city and is the cause of our recent earthquake terrors.' That explains everything. There's no details, no evidence. Just an entire article screeching about the company Psionyx."

  
The Doctor couldn't deny the point the other man had, but the TARDIS brought him there for a reason, and Berlin was not suppose to be getting bombarded with earthquakes in that year. The Doctor, no matter how thin a lead it was, had to look into it. Often, anything of his exploits that were remembered or recorded, wound up in tabloids, so the blonde's outstanding accusations weren't completely crazy. He tossed the paper in the blonde's general direction before he spun around to face him. But as he did, he had felt the first of the grounds rumblings, before the others in the building did. Soon enough, the building began to shake, badly enough, that cracks splintered up through the walls. When the structure began to fracture, the couple's who had little kids ran out of the building with them to some perceived safety in the streets. Other's either stood up seeking shelter in the archways of the building, or simply sat still enjoying their meal, as if the tremors were becoming commonplace.

  
One of the patrons ran into Julie, the waitress, who dropped the food she was carrying. She lost her footing in the chaos and got knocked down to the ground. It had happened quick but the blonde had managed to catch her in his arms. She flushed and shyly thanked him. That's when loud crashes began to be heard. The hanging light fixtures danced and rattled, hard enough to break free and smash onto the floor and tables below. Julie gasped when she saw one of the lights drop just above the Doctor's head. She acted quickly enough to grab a startled Doctor and pulled him away from the danger and into her and the blonde's arms. The Doctor wasn't in the mood to flirt and things were happening to quickly to thank them. When another fixture exploded into a bunch of raining glass, he had noticed the other man cover the three of them and himself with his leather jacket. Instinctively acting to the danger towards himself and a few others nearby.

  
Grabbing the blonde away from Julie, he stood up with him. "Tell me where I can find Psionyx."

  
"I'll show you."

  
"You're out of your mind, Roman."

  
"You don't have to come Gavin."

  
"I'm not staying here."

  
Julie gazed between them, as Gavin joined them reluctantly and helped Julie to her own feet. Before they could make their way out the front door, the glass from the door and large windows on both sides shattered all over the floor and ground outside. Then to make matters worse, the ceiling at the front of the building buckled from the pressure. Until pieces crumbled and fell. It had effectively cut off their exit. The Doctor whipped out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the front of the restaurant. It whirred but when nothing happened the Doctor frowned before replacing his sonic back into his pocket.

  
"We can get out the back way, follow me."

  
The Doctor grinned at her,"Well you heard the boss. Let's go."

  
"Yeah before the rest of the ceiling collapses on us." Gavin remarked dryly, but followed after Roman closely. They walked into the kitchen, moving fallen supplies, pots and pans, out of the way. The stepped around an overturned refrigerator, only for a larger bulky man to block their exit. He had grabbed Julie harshly by her forearm and pulled her away from the three men. She made a pained noise as she tried to break free of his grasp, but he was too strong.

  
"Hey-" Julie cried.

  
"If you leave now, Julie...Don't come back. You'll be fired."

  
"Are you kidding?" Roman couldn't believe what he was hearing, but at the same time, seemed to slink backwards away from the potential conflict.

  
"Unfeeling prick. Probably didn't feel that earthquake that just destroyed your business."

  
Julie sent pleading eyes at Roman and the Doctor. The Doctor gave the large stocky man a serious look. "Let her go."

  
A tense silence against the roar of the panic inside the building around them passed as the two men stared each other down. Finally, Gavin reared back and threw a punch into the large man's jaw, causing him to shove Julie aside and teeter backwards in surprise. Julie regained her footing and threw her badge and apron down at her boss who was sprawled backwards in the debris of his resteraunt. "I guess I quit, then."

  
The two men followed Julie to the back exit and the Doctor peered down at the man, just as the earth stopped shaking. "You have three families and two other patrons that didn't make it out before the front entrance was blocked. You will go help everyone get out of here safely."

  
At the man's shake of his head, he left out the back and caught up with them, surprised to see Gavin still there, as he had been the most reluctant. As soon as they were all back in the street and sunlight, Roman-the tall blonde turned to Julie. "I'm Roman, by the way. And that's my friend and colleague Gavin."

  
Gavin seemed unimpressed and ignored Roman. While the girl gave a small smile,"Julie."

  
"I'm the Doctor."

  
"Doctor Who?" Gavin's tone matched his unimpressed face. Julie also mirrored the question, though out of curiosity. She had soft beautiful coffee colored skin and long chestnut brown hair with brown eyes; and the tiniest bit of green in them.

  
"Just the Doctor." He spoke fondly, but then his words sped up. "Walk and talk. Now Roman, you were going to point us in the right direction towards Psionyx."

  
For the first time, the Doctor saw hesitance in Gavin's face. "You all don't have to come with. Roman just tell me where to go."

  
Julie shook her head. "No. Not a chance. I just quit my job, and I want to know why. I'm coming with."

  
"Gavin's coming too." Roman gazed at him. "Aren't you?" Shrugging, Roman started walking off. "Come on Doctor, it's this way. There's a side door that isn't open. But we could probably get in that way."

  
"Ah Roman. Using the front door never crossed your mind?"

  
"But they're bad...why would we go in the front way?"

  
"Because sneaking into a huge building like Psionyx is not only suspicious but highly illegal?" Gavin supplied.

  
"Gavin, you don't know what these people are capable of."

"Neither do you."

"Stop arguing." Julie finally stepped in.

"Let's just head over to Psionyx and see what strolling through the front door gets us."

Roman was absolutely stunned that he had agreed with Gavin, of all people, but fell silent as he lead the way.

"So how come you're so hostile towards you friend?" Julie asked Roman and Gavin quietly.

"We're not friends."

Roman had had enough of Gavin and turned around angrily. The Doctor however, had stopped him just in time. "How much further till we get to Psionyx. If something is happening there then I can't be bothered with your childish dispute. Larger things could be at risk here. So tell me where to go and stay here to fight it out, or make up and show me where to go." Roman was still quite angry, but gave a short nod. "Brilliant!"

Roman moved away from Gavin, giving a half-assed apology that Gavin echoed.

Julie rolled her eyes and stepped up beside the Doctor. "Do you suppose we'll make it to this Psionyx before those two kill each other?"

"Oh them...they'll be fine. We're all best friends, aren't we?"

Despite the less than enthusiastic response, the Doctor was smiling and as chipper as ever. Julie shook her head in disbelief, but continued to follow. Something about that man caused her to block out the consequences and compelled her to follow through. 

"So English? Or are you American?" At the lack of response, the Doctor elaborated. "You're speaking English."

"Sounds like German to me." Roman interjected.

"That's the TARDIS...it translates the native language of anyone around me. Julie might know German, but English is her main language." Noticing their blank looks he ruffled his hair in agitation. Starting over was so time consuming and annoying. "So where are you from Julie?"

"America...Seattle specifically."

"You're a long way from home."

Impatiently, Gavin sighed. "Are we almost there, Roman?" He wanted to get this hair-brained scheme over with.

Roman squared his shoulders at Gavin's harsh tone. "Almost." He did glance at Julie. "What brought you all the way to Germany?"

Julie frowned. "Followed my ex here. It didn't work out and I didn't have the money to go back."

The Doctor put a hand on Romans shoulder to halt his progress. "But it's just up ahead."

"Shhh-" He put a hand up to further gesture the need for silence and cooperation. "Don't you hear that?" He whispered.

They all stood there quietly, trying their best to hear whatever the Doctor was hearing. The noise was faint, but there was something not right about it at all. The Doctor's feet started off in the direction it was coming from. Barely registering Roman's panicked voice about not running towards danger. He hadn't bothered to check if his entourage was following behind him. Already secure in the knowledge that they had, even the scared Roman. If they had followed him thus far, then they'd most likely stick with him until Psionyx. Unless Psionyx really was involved in something nefarious, but he was confident they'd all stay. Gavin and Roman were a mystery though. While Roman had first alerted him to this potential danger, he got the distinct feeling he wasn't really expecting it to be real. Just a fun little wild goose chase, to have a small adventure and to pass the time. If the danger turned out to be real, he wasn't sure if Roman would stick around. Gavin was pretty stubborn in his belief that everything in the world was fine and status quo. Though he wondered if being proven wrong would bruise Gavin's ego enough to get him to stick around. 

As the Doctor got closer, it was unmistakable. It was definitely the sound of a blunt object or flesh connecting with flesh. Someone was getting beaten up, and the Doctor rushed ahead when he heard the pained gasps and sounds of a struggle. He heard the footsteps behind him, but he couldn't stop. Someone was in trouble and he was close enough to help. His hand immediately sought out his sonic screwdriver and he held it out in front of him, hoping it would be of some help.

"You can't just ignore us." A distant voice cried out.

There was some more crunches and a harsh groan, before the male voice spoke up again. "There's been so many disappearances, I can't sit idly by any longer."

The Doctor heard a sickening thwack, but sighed in relief when he heard the voice again. It was slower, and it sounded like it took more effort to speak, but it was an indication that the man was okay or going to be okay. "There's innocent lives at stake!"

_No..._ The Doctor thought to himself. The voice was obviously weak from the abuse it's body had gone through but there was a confident edge to it that was too familiar to him. _It couldn't be...._ he tried to convince himself.

The Doctor moved faster as the sounds grew louder. "You can't do this. I won't let you get away with it."

His attackers chuckled menacingly and the sound of the voice now loud and echoing in his head caused the Doctor to take off as fast as he could run. He rounded the corner, just in time to see one of the men punch the beaten man on the ground. He was still conscious, but his head lulled to the side.

_Okay, well done sexy. This is one hell of a surprise._

The Doctors eyes held disbelief and questions, and his mouth dropped open a fraction when his eyes met with the eyes of the fallen man **...Rory.**


	2. Into the Tunnels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'ed like all my stuff. If there are typo's, I apologize.  
> Enjoy!

This was unbelievable, he couldn't comprehend what was right in front of his face. So much so, that he didn't realize he had knelt down beside Rory and poked him in the chest. But there he was staring right back at him. His sandy brown hair was the same as he had remembered, he had the large nose, and his expressive hazel eyes were all the physical evidence the Doctor needed. There were still any number of explanations. Duplicates, flesh, Cosmic twin, another displaced Rory-as unlikely as that could be-The Doctor had still seen stranger, an auton from the Nestene Consciousness. Oh what a let down that would be. He'd already seen and been with a plastic Rory. A robot, cyborg. Perhaps some flash memory and physical representation to dishonor Rory's memory and to royally and emotional screw with his head. If that were the case, someone was going to receive more time lord fury then they were expecting. It was too coincidental for him to run into any of those things, but this wasn't mere coincidence, it was his TARDIS that sent him there, after all.

  
Gavin had passed by the Doctor, along with Julie and Roman. Gavin had reacted instantly to the scene before him and had punched the guy trying to attack the Doctor. Julie hung back with Roman.

  
"DOCTOR!" Gavin yelled loud enough to snap the Doctor out of his stupor.

  
He was scanning the screwdriver over Rory as soon as he had heard Gavin. Roman flinched back, and Julie frowned when she saw a second of the three thugs go after Gavin. Who did his best to keep two of the three attackers at bay, but he was outnumbered when the third joined.

  
"Well don't just stand there ogling, help a bloke out. I'm sure Gavin would appreciate it." The authoritative tone spurred Julie into action, and with shaky movements, Roman rushed in to try and help as well. Though it was obvious by now that Roman was not a physical fighter, nor one for actual conflict.

  
He gazed at his screwdriver, feeling relief flood him. "Listen to me." One of Rory's eyes were black and already swelling up, but he found the Doctor's eyes and he focused on the man above him. "You're going to be okay."

  
Rory looked at him in confusion, as though the Doctor looked familiar to him but he couldn't quite place it. "Who are you?"

  
The Doctor kept his composure, but Rory's eyes softened some when he noticed a teary glint in the Doctor's eyes. "I'm the Doctor."

  
A split second of recognition registered, before it vanished. "So I'm going to live then Doctor?"

  
"Of course."

  
Roman scrambled out of the way when his opponent made a grab for him. Gavin noticed Julie seemed to be holding her own, not so much in strength but was definitely keeping one of them away from him and was outwitting him. But he saw Roman in need of help and wasn't putting up much of a fight to begin with. The thug realized the same thing and turned his attention to the two men on the ground. But a hand grabbed him from behind and he was turned to stare into the diligent eyes of Gavin. Despite being older then Roman and Julie, he still had a youthful appearance. His hair was spiky and jet black, with the bluest blue eyes one could drown in. Though his blue eyes were a cold stare, determined to win and survive. The thug would have been terrified, but he saw his partner behind Gavin recover. 

  
"ROMAN! Do something!" Julie screamed. But her warning was too late. He was struck from behind and he slumped to the ground in a heap. He was left alone, and the thug had gone after Julie. Julie punched and kicked to try and get away, but she couldn't get away from two of them. The Doctor abandoned Rory, only to see Roman cower from the third man, Julie being carried away, while Gavin weakly crawled trying to reach Julie. Her eyes caught Gavin's but she started to cry when the third man kicked at the back of Gavin's head and then ran after the two carrying Julie away.

  
"Julie!" The Doctor ran off, his sonic out in front him, trying to track their movements. But he had a good guess at where they were going. The Doctor was about to run off and leave them all behind when Roman made a move to stop him. Looking back at Roman and then at the other two, the Doctor had noticed Rory was now kneeling beside Gavin.

  
"Doctor, I think Gavin is really hurt." Roman spoke softly. 

  
The Doctor knew he couldn't get Julie now. Gavin was down for the count, and while Rory was moving, he had definitely seen better days. Moving closer to Rory and Gavin, he knelt on the opposite side of Gavin.

  
"He's got a concussion, probably a few cracked ribs and will be very sore, if he's lucky."

  
"Great. What ab-"

  
"Not great." Rory exclaimed. 

  
And the Doctor came face to face with a sight he had not seen in a while. A sense of nostalgia overcame him. Squaring off with an enraged Rory, he prompted. "What's the problem?"

  
"How did I know that? How could I know that?"

  
The Doctor shrugged,"It's not rocket science. Maybe you read a book."

  
Rory's eyes narrowed,"A book?"

  
"How are you holding up, Roman?"

  
Roman shrugged,"Still trembling a bit. But I'm fine."

  
Rory was standing there, stunned while the Doctor and Roman conversed. Roman? ...Roman... Was that someone important to him? Something important?

  
"Hey you, Roman...Try and rouse him. And then keep his focus. We can't let him stay unconscious with his concussion. It's too dangerous." The next was directed at the Doctor. "A book? I can't know all that from just a book!"

  
"Rory."

  
"I work construction. Construction. I'm not a Doctor, you are. I've never taken a medical class in my life. So how can I know all that?"

  
The Doctor ran his screwdriver over Gavin, confirming Rory's diagnosis, and that Gavin was indeed lucky. "Calm down, Rory." He had reached out easily to the man, who pushed the Doctor's hand aside, and helped Gavin into a sitting position. Rory felt some relief when Gavin began to stir.

  
Gesturing to Roman, both the Doctor and Rory ordered him to wake and look after Gavin. Rory looked startled and then disgruntled with the Doctor, who reflected a sense of amusement and relief. It didn't last long, before Rory had gotten up, and hauled the Doctor up with him. Being strong or stubborn enough, he ignored his injuries to drag the Doctor away.

  
"What? No thank you for the rescue? Those thugs were beating you up!" Roman hollered after them.

  
Rory's eyes glanced backwards at Roman, but purposely gazed at Gavin, who was now awake and disoriented. "Thanks for the rescue." As soon as they were a sufficient distance away from the two others, Rory let go of an indignant Doctor. "I need answers."

  
Firmly, he cupped Rory's cheek easing up slightly when the man winced. "That was going to be my line. Brilliant, gorgeous Rory. If I had any answers for you...I'd tell you."

  
"Why do you keep calling me that?"

  
"What? That's not your name?" At Rory's blank look the Doctor dropped his hand,"What is your name?"

  
There was instant confusion, before an agitated Rory spoke,"Dieter." 

  
But even as he said it, the Doctor observed Rory's discomfort. It was clear it sounded foreign to Rory's ears. He dropped his hand from Rory's cheek. Gently, he pressed him,"You said you work construction. What did you do before?"

  
Rory shook his head,"School."

  
"Who were your parents?"

  
Rory's eyes looked passed Doctor, as if trying to remember. "I-" He swallowed uneasily,"They died...when I was young. I...I grew up in an orphanage."

  
"Which orphanage? Did you have any friends there?"

  
"I...I..."

  
"I know you lost them young, but do you remember the names of your parents?"

  
Hazel eyes went wide and began to dart around. Rory's heart beat spiked and a frown pulled at the Doctor's lips. "Hey. Hey, don't panic. It's okay."

  
"No." Rory spoke in disbelief,"Why can't I-?"

  
"Look at me Dieter." The Doctor spoke softly, but he saw the rising panic as Rory tried filling in the holes of his memory. He didn't seem to hear him, so he tried again. "Rory. Rory, look at me."

  
His hazel eyes sought out his brown ones and he held his gaze. "It's going to be okay Rory. I swear it is. What can you remember? Before the construction, before all this."

  
Rory felt the panic even more so, and he squinted his eyes shut. "N-nothing."

  
"Was that a lie?"

  
Rory turned around in frustration,"What does it matter?"

  
He walked back to where Gavin was struggling to stand back up and Roman was helping him. "Rory, it matters!"

  
Now back in earshot, Rory fumed,"What matters is what I do know. My co-workers and friends have been disappearing."

  
"And you think Psionyx has something to do with it."

  
Rory nodded. "I don't have proof, but they hired us to build tunnels...they have to know something if they're not behind it."

  
Roman started nudging Gavin in his side,"I told you Gav, that they were no good."

  
"I still haven't seen any evidence of nefarious deeds, just a bunch of thugs." Came Gavin's gruff reply.

  
The Doctor gave the older man another look over with his sonic. "You okay?"

  
Whatever Gavin was going to say, it was evident that he had changed his mind. "What happened to the girl?"

  
"Julie was taken."

  
Roman glanced at Gavin. "You're not going to convince me you suddenly care now."

  
"Never wanted her kidnapped."

  
The Doctor watched Gavin closely,"We'll get her back." Gavin gestured, but the Doctor shook his head. "You misunderstood. We're going after her. You need to check yourself into a hospital."

  
An eyebrow raised up. "You're no doubt taking the walking bruise with you. No offense mate. I'm going too. I'm involved now, and I intend to see this through." He gave a side glare to Roman. "Besides, you might need me."

  
Roman seethed next to him. "I'm pretty sure we don't need you. Or want you."

  
"Nonsense Roman. The more the merrier, right Rory?"

  
There he went again, with the Rory. "Sure."

  
The Doctor was partially satisfied when he saw there was no more objections. "Okay. I want to get a look at these tunnels."

  
"I thought we were headed to Psionyx."

  
"Oh we will. As soon as we get a look at those tunnels." If he suspected right, then one of the tunnels would lead right into the Psionyx building. Hopefully a short-cut to Julie. "Psionyx wanted them built and I want to know why. Seems like these tunnels, the tremors, Psionyx...could all be connected. Who'd you lose?"

  
They had all been following Rory, when the Doctor's question came. Rory's back stiffened at the fresh memory. "Lena, Gerard, and Tab."

  
"I'm sorry."

  
"Do you think we'll find your friends in the tunnels?"

  
Rory shrugged at Gavin's question. "I don't know. I didn't have much luck myself. I've looked through several of the tunnels and haven't come across any sign of them. As if they had just vanished. And yes, I checked their flats. Their stuff is where they left it, so they didn't move away."

  
"Maybe the Doctor will find something in the tunnels that you missed." Roman supplied helpfully.

  
They weren't waiting for much longer before Rory pulled back some overgrown flora. It revealed a rickety, old rusted ladder; hidden away.

  
"So who wants to fall to their death first?"

  
"Oh lighten up Roman. It's not a high enough drop for that."

  
"That's suppose to make me feel better?"

  
"We're wasting time here."

  
"I agree with Gavin."

  
Gavin was the first one to swing his legs over and start climbing down, and Rory followed after. The Doctor waited patiently, expecting to be the last one down. He did have to give Roman a metaphorical push, but the young blonde did relent and started his descent. Roman was nervous and this slowed his progress. Taking one hand off the ladder rung, Roman wiped off some of the debris and rust that had come off the ladder. As he rubbed his hand on his pants to clean it off, he lost his footing and fell to the ground below. Both Rory and Gavin looked up at Roman's strangled shout. They both reached up and managed to catch him before he injured himself too badly. 

  
The Doctor arrived at the bottom shortly afterwards. "Leave it to Roman to have all the fun."

  
"Yeah." Rory commented dryly.

  
Roman's sheepish smile was weak as he stood up on his own. The Doctor gazed at the small ledge they were on. It was darkened and obviously hidden from prying eyes. The entrance into the tunnels had recently been disturbed but was hastily covered with overgrown plants. It was easy to see that it led deep underground, nonetheless.

  
"How on earth did you find this entrance?"

  
Rory was already moving the plants out of the way to make a big enough hole for them to fit through. "I found it when I was searching for my missing friends. Just happened to stumble onto this entrance, thankfully."

  
"You got lost, didn't you?"

  
"Yes I did, Gavin." Rory deadpanned.

  
"And you want us to go with you into the tunnels? You'll get us all lost."

  
"There's the ladder." Rory spoke firmly to Roman. "Feel free to use it."

  
It didn't take Roman long to decide. He'd already fallen once using the ladder. Instead, he was the first to crawl through the opening that Rory had made. The Doctor scrambled in afterwards, a gleeful smile on his face. He took a deep breath in, his long portable flashlight already out of his pocket, providing enough light to travel down the darkened path safely. "Hmmm...what is that?" The Doctor's voice was low as he asked himself. There was something in the air, that was different.

  
It was either something new, or something very old. The Doctor couldn't place what was off; but there was something in those tunnels that put him on edge. In no time at all, Rory and Gavin were through the opening. As soon as their eyes had adjusted to the dark environment, they continued their journey. They were in an enclosed area, the walls were damp and bumpy. Possibly due to being made of cement. And the style was bland and dull, no artwork or sense of design. Built in a rush, with equally plain stairs the descended into blackness. Rory led the group, but the Doctor was by his side providing what light his rod illuminated. The air was stale, and it was obvious that no one, save the construction workers had been through there, and even so they hadn't lingered long. The tall, scrawny Rory still next to him. He wished he could figure out what was making him nervous, or at least comfort him. But Rory didn't know him anymore and it was doubtful he'd accept any of his comfort now. He had to start over, completely. Back when he had first met Rory, Rory knew him. He had grown up listening to stories of the Doctor through Amy. The Doctor didn't even have that much to work with. Despite being so close to him, he felt further away from Rory then ever. What was he? And how was he here? Was it possible to help Rory retrieve his memories? Did he even want that; Did Rory?

  
"What?" Rory asked.

  
There was a shrug. "The disappearance of your friends is the only thing upsetting you?"

  
"I'm fine."

  
Behind them, Gavin and Roman followed the pair, and when Gavin stopped just short of running into Rory, his presence directly behind him had spooked Rory. He had jumped slightly, hissing through clenched teeth at the injuries he aggravated. The Doctor had raised an eyebrow, clearly convinced that Rory was not fine, and Gavin placed a hand on Rory's shoulder to steady him, before removing it.

  
"Easy Rory. It's just Roman and me."

  
"I'm not..." Rory sighed. Rory was not his name! But as much as he knew Dieter was his name, Rory felt more comfortable to him. So he let it go, and said instead. "Scared. You two just startled me."

  
"Hey Gav. Maybe Rory's scared of the dark."

  
"You don't know what you're talking about, Roman. There's something about these tunnels."

  
"What?" The Doctor asked, interested.

  
"I saw something."

  
"That's very vague and oh so interesting."

  
Gavin turned and narrowed his eyes at Roman's flippant tone. There was something different about Roman that made Gavin uncomfortable and suspicious. Ignoring, Gavin and Roman, he turned his full attention to Rory. "What did you see? You can tell me, Rory."

  
Rory gazed at the Doctor and felt trust for the man that he couldn't explain. "When I was looking for my friends I heard these noised. In the tunnels, the echoes of it, distorted the noise. So I wasn't sure what it was. I went to investigate it."

  
Roman scoffed,"Don't you mean you ran away?"

  
"No." Rory spoke,"That came later. At first, while the noises were eerie, it could have been someone who had gotten trapped and was calling for help. One of my friends even. I couldn't ignore that, could I?" This had shut Roman up, enough for Rory to continue his story without further interruptions. "As I got closer to where the noise was coming from, it was not a call for help."

  
"What exactly was it? What did you see?" Gavin didn't look nearly as interested as his questions implied, but the Doctor saw potential in Gavin that was suppressed by his cynicism.

  
"It almost didn't sound human. Maybe an animal of some kind. The best I can describe it, was that something was howling."

  
Getting giddy, the Doctor hastened his pace down the last few steps of the corridor. "Maybe it's an entirely new species...or one that's been here a long time sleeping and the building of the tunnels woke it up..." The Doctor started muttering to himself all the different things it could possibly be.

  
"Or it could just be an animal lost in the tunnels."

  
"Oh take all the fun right out of it."

  
Gavin raised an eyebrow,"The animal could be hurt and dangerous."

  
"You're right!" The Doctor exclaimed. "You've been working on sweet talking me."

  
Although Gavin was taken aback and confused, the Doctor had a renewed sense of adventure and couldn't hide the excitement on his face.

  
"You're mad." Gavin mumbled. "Do you have a death wish? Or are you just some adrenaline junkie?"

  
The Doctor leered at Gavin. "Trust me Gav. If you continue to travel with me, you'll jump at the next chance to go down the rabbit hole."

  
"Unlikely. I've got a job,...I live here. I can't just drop everything and-"

  
"Doctor?"

  
"What?" The Doctor spoke, still looking at Gavin.

  
"Doctor!"

  
He sighed at Roman's tone, but when Rory smacked him in the shoulder, he looked up at whatever had caught Roman's attention. Roman was looking at the far wall and backing away from it. The Doctor could feel his fear and there was no way to stop Roman from bolting down the opposite direction and away from the group. Gavin had tried, but he was too transfixed by what he was witnessing in the wall,"Is that a...?"

  
"Yes." The Doctor confirmed. There was a human face in the wall, staring back at them.


End file.
